THE GENERA OF BRITISH MOTHS. ) 
PLATE IU. 
No. 1.—The Privet Hawk-Moth (Sphinx Ligustri). No. 4.—The Caterpillar of the Spotted Hawk-Moth. 
No. 2.—The Caterpillar of the Privet Hawk-Moth. No. 5.—The Striped Hawk- Moth (Deilephila Livornica). 
No, 8.—The Spotted Hawk-Moth (Deilephila Euphorvie). 
THE separate genus still bearing the name of Sphinx, which once belonged to nearly the whole group of 
Sphingide, now contains but three British species, which are, however, those most highly characteristic of the 
typical Hawk-Moth, having a slenderer and sharper body, longer, more pointed, and more even-edged wings, and 
a more rapid flight ; in short, all the characteristics for which the highly descriptive popular name Hawk-Moth 
was originally conferred. % 
The first and largest species of this genus is the handsome Sphinz Convolvuli, the Convolvulus Hawk- 
Moth, which I have not figured, as rarely found in England in ordinary seasons. The fore wings are ashy-gray, 
beautifully clouded with brown, and streaked with black ; the hind wings being gray also, with three transverse 
bands of brown, the centre band open in the middle, and joined at the extremities. The abdomen is beautifully 
barred with black, white, and deep pink. The Caterpillar has the usual dorsal horn, is of a dull olive colour, 
with white spots near the junction of the segments, two brown stripes down the back, and transverse slanting 
bars of brown at the sides. It feeds on the common Bind-weed. Though generally excessively rare, it is 
occasionally abundant, as it was in 1846, and somewhat less so during the last season (1858), when I took a fine 
specimen in my own garden hovering over a bed of Petunias. 
The next species, No. 1, Plate 2, is the better-known Privet Hawk-Moth, nearly as large and handsome 
1s the preceding, and found abund’ntly everywhere. The Caterpillar, which feeds on the Privet, is green ; the 
dorsal horn black above and yellow beneath ; the spiracles, or breathing apertures, just above the feet, to be 
remarked in all this class of Caterpillars, are orange, and the diagonal stripes tinged with pink. The Caterpillar 
appears in July and August, and the Moth emerges from the chrysalis in the following June. 
The last species of the genus Sphinz is the Pine Hawk-Moth, Sphinx Pinastri, much smaller than either of 
the preceding ; both front and hind wings are gray, the front pair having clouded transverse bands of brown, and 
the hinder pair shading off to deep brown at the outer edge ; the body is marked with brown on the thorax, 
and barred closely with brown on the abdomen. The Caterpillar is very different in character to those of the 
other species, being of much slenderer proportions. ‘The sides are deep green, with lozenge-shaped openings of 
gray, and haying a yellow line beneath, and along the centre of the back, with the dorsal horn nearly black. It 
feeds on the Pine, and is common in the forests of the Continent, but very rare in England. There are other 
species of Sphinx reputed British, such as Cingulata, Carolina, Quinque-maculatus, ete., but they are probably 
imported specimens. 
Of the next genus, Detlephila, there are three British species, two of which are figured in the adjoining 
plate. This genus is distinguished from the preceding by somewhat shorter wings, less acute and elongated at the 
tips, and other sufficient distinctions, of which the Caterpillars offer several ; the character of their markings 
differing from those of the preceding genera, in having the three segments next the head marked in the same 
manner as those of the other portions of the body. 
The Spotted Hawk-Moth, Deilephila Euphorbia, No. 3, Plate 8, is a very elegant insect, both in markings 
